Yesterday, I had a spectacular outing en femme.I was dressed and out the door at 4 PM and drove to Middletown to dine with friends at an upscale restaurant. I was the first to arrive. A waitress seated me at our table and I ordered a mango martini.
My friends arrived a few minutes later: Maryann and Carole, the couple I have done outreach with so many times in the past, Robin and Arline, another couple who I have known for years, and one of my oldest trans friends, Diana.
Surprise! After Diana arrived, she announced that she was buying my dinner (in appreciation for some editing I have done for her recently). Thank-you, Diana.
The dinner and dinner conversation were excellent.
I told everyone that I was undecided about going to the Mohegan Sun casino after dinner. I was a little nervous about going by myself and needed a little encouragement.
Robin provided the encouragement. She has been to the casino numerous times en femme and said that I would have "no problem."
We departed around 7:15 PM and I drove 40 minutes to the casino. I never use valet parking, but it was so cold last night, I did not feel like walking through a damp, cold, and dimly-lit parking garage, so I pulled up to the entrance of the casino, gave the valet my car keys, and sashayed inside. I checked my coat and was ready to have some fun at the "Sun."
I immediately noticed that I was one of the few women in the casino wearing a dress (and a very nice dress at that). As a result, I caught men and women eyeing me at various times during my visit.
You can never be sure if they are looking because you are looking good or because you are looking trans, however, I do know I passed some of the time because while I was walking through the casino shopping mall, a guy who walked by me in the opposite direction remarked to his friends, "Did you see the Amazon?"
Furthermore, I did not hear a discouraging word during my visit. So, on the passing front, it was a very encouraging night.
The casino does not permit photography inside the casino, so I walked through the shopping mall looking for a place to take a photo and looking for someone to take the photo. When I found a photogenic spot, I asked the first friendly-looking woman I saw to take my photo and she happily agreed to do so (the result accompanies this blog posting).
Another reason I was in the mall was to check out the night club and get in some dancing, but the night club was not very busy. I imagine that on a Wednesday nights, the joint is usually not hopping, so I skipped the nightclub.
On the gambling front, I decided to gamble $100, no more, no less. I only play 25-cent slot machines, so I figured that $100 should be more than adequate for my two- or three-hour visit.
Immediately, I won $50, so I played with the casino's money for awhile, but I eventually fed their $50 and my $50 into their machines.
I had made up my mind to leave the casino at 10:30 PM. I was about $20 into my second $50 at about 10:15, when I sat down at what I figured would be the last slot machine of the evening. On my fifth or sixth spin, I won $150. Perfect timing. I collected my winnings, collected my coat and the valet collected my car with me tipping the coat check man and valet generously.
Last night was the first time I ever accessorized with a scarf. The scarf I wore was one of my deceased Mother's scarves; I felt that she was with me throughout the evening and may have brought me some luck at the slot machines. Thank-you, Mom!
Beautiful, Staci. I've taken pictures in the same area
ReplyDeleteYay! I glad you decided to go.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous --- Thank you! There are a lot of nice places to take photos at the Sun.
ReplyDeleteDiana --- Me, too!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Staci Lana - terrific outfit, you look wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteTerrific holidays to you and loved ones.
Petra
Sounds like a great night out. I understand how you feel about wearing your mother's scarf: I have a few accessories and articles of clothing my mother gave me, and I also feel her presence when I wear them.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great holiday, girl!
Petra --- Thank you; I do love the outfit. And Happy Holidays to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteJustine --- I must remember to bring my Mother with me more often when I am en femme.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays to you, too!
The dress is very pretty, and you show it off well!
ReplyDeleteIt's actually kind of sad that almost nobody dresses up any more to go anywhere, even for a nice night out at a casino during the holidays. People just wear sweats and jeans everywhere.
Trish --- Thank you for the nice compliment.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about people not dressing up to go out; I am doing my best to reverse that trend!
Your experiences are so inspirational and you always look amazing. Also, I know what you mean about your mother's scarf. My wife always tells me I look like my late mother which makes me feel like she's still with me.
ReplyDeleteWow - my first casino outing was with 2 girl friends. I tried it on my own once before that, but never got out of the car. I have been back since then, but the first time would have been scary all alone.
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful! What a lovely pair of shoes.
ReplyDeleteAs for all those not dressing up, I think the pandemic has changed us all. My mother taught me to never wear sweats, etc., in public, and to always be the best-dressed woman at an event (unless meeting with a lawyer or other professional), and now I even wear yoga pants out.
good for you Sis. we have not met, but I'm so proud of you, it was so brave doing what you wanted to do. your a credit to all of girls like us, just wish I went with you, muah@!!
ReplyDelete